Folding easel



April 26, 1927. 5,

P. O. MATTSON FOLDING BASED Filed April 6, 1926 HIIIH JIIHH IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Apr. 26, 1927.-

PAUL o. MATTSON, or maven, COLORADO.

FOLDING EASiEL.

Application filed April 6, 19a. Serial No. 100,138.

This invention relates to easels such as are used for holding relatively small pictures on tables, stands, and the like though. the ,irinciple of the device might be applied to large easels also.

.The general object of the invention is to n'ovide an easel which is very simple, cheaply made and which may be folded into compact form.

A further object is to provide an easel formed of two half sections hinged to each other so that these sections may be turned into angular relation to each other or into a facing relation when the easel is to be. folded.

A still further object is to provide an easel of this character which is ornamental in character and which is provided with an auxiliary means for steadying the two halves of the easel when these two halves are unfolded or put in applied position.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a face view of an easel constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge View of the easel showing the two sections folded upon each other into confronting relation;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3"?) of Figure 1;

Fig. l is a side elevation of the easel in its applied posit-ion;

Referring to these drawings it will be seen that the easel consists of two sections A and B, these sections being alike. Each of these sections has an upwardly and inwardly ex tending portion 10, angular-1y extended at its upper end in a horizontal plane as at 11, and each portion 10 at its lower end is angularly extended as at 12 parallel to the extension 11, this part 12 being provided with the downwardly extending foot 13.

Formed integral with the portion 10 is a f 'rward foot 14 which is offset with relation to the portion 10 so as to provide a picture supporting shoulder 15, preferably projecting upward and outward.

Between the foot 13 and the foot let the lower end of each section of the easel is cut away, as at 16, and hinged to each foot 122 on the rear face thereof. is an auxiliary or bracing foot 17 which may be turned into aligned relation to the lower end of the corresponding section or into nearly right angular relation thereto.

"Where easels are to be used for relatively light and small pictures there is not ordinarily any necessity for the wings or bracing feet 1? and these may be omitted but .where the easels are relatively tall and in- ;tended to siipport relatively heavy pictures or pictures of large area, these wings 17 are partici'ilarly desirable. v 1

- By forming the shoulders 15 at an upward and outward inclination, the picture disposed upon these shoulders will act to hold the two sections of the easel from either outward or inward movement and the wings 17 when in use, will also act to impede any outward movement of the two sections of the easel. The easel, being formed in two flat sections hinged to each other, may be folded up into the position shown in Fig ure 3 and thus packed flat for transportation. The hinges do not support any of the strain on the easel or the weight of the picture and, therefore, there is no tendency of the hinges to become loose as is the case in the ordinary easel where any lateral strain tends to rack the hinge. The easel is small, can be readily made, and adapts itself to many ornamental and useful purposes. W'hile in most cases the easel will be made of wood, I do not wish to be limited thereto as it might be made of paste board, composition, or any material which would be suitable for the purpose. Obviously the exact form of the easel may be changed in many ways Without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

1. An easel formed of two lateral sections hingedly connected on a vertical middle line whereby said sections may be turned either into a confronting relation or into an angular relation, each of said sections being formed at its lower end with an outwardly projecting shoulder upon which a picture may be supported, and wings connected to the two lateral sections at their lower ends and thereby adapted to be turned toward or from the rear face of the corre sponding section into or out of angular re lation thereto, said wings having their lower edges on level with the lower edges of each section and thus being adapted to rest on a supporting surface and when in angular relation bracing the easel in an upright position.

2. An easel consisting of two like sections hingedly connected to each other along a the forward edge of the rear leg of the section at the lower end thereof for movement toward or from the rear face of the section and into angular relation thereto.

3. An easel consisting of two like hinged sections, each of these sectionsbeing formed to provide an upwardly and inwardly inclined portion having a horizontal portion at its upper end, the lower end ol the sec tion being formed with a horizontal portion extending in opposite directions beyond the lower end of the upwardly and inwardly inclined )ortion, and formed at its ends with depending feet and formed to provide a shoulder above the front foot upon which a picture may rest, and a wing hinged to the rear foot of each section and beneath said horizontal portion and adapted to he shifted from a position aligned with the section to a position at an angle thereto and acting as a brace.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

PAUL O. MATTSON. 

